Somerset triathletes shine at QLD School Sport Championships

Ten Spartan triathletes competed in the School Sport Triathlon State Championships in Hervey Bay the weekend of February 14 and 15.

The competition involved a solo triathlon race and a team relay for athletes aged 13 to 18 and a solo aquathlon race for athletes 11 to 12 years old. Only the best athletes from each region were selected, meaning our Spartans were selected for the South Coast team, one of the country's strongest.

Senior Triathlon athletes Gregg Velloza (Year 12) and Patrick Kelly-Correa (Year 11) had outstanding performances and came 11th and 21st in their respective age groups. Holly Hembling (Year 12), still a newcomer to triathlon, was first out of the swim, but a bike crash on the first lap, unfortunately, eliminated any chance of qualification to Nationals.

Lucas Soegaard (Year 10) put on a show in the Intermediate Triathlon. After a scare on the swim coming out of the water one minute behind the leaders, Lucas took control of the race at the end of the first 5km lap of the 15km cycling segment. From then on, he managed the lead to be crowned 2025 QLD Champion. Liam Thornton (Year 10) had a great race, coming 11th in his age group. In her first year in the intermediate distance, Elisabeth Staelen (Year 9) came third among the athletes born in 2010, guaranteeing her ticket to SS Nationals.

The Junior Triathlon competition was fierce. Starting at 11.00am on a hot and humid day, athletes had to push beyond their limits to fight for a spot in the state team. Emma Lester (Year 9), who has been recovering from a broken wrist, gave it all in the swim/cycle/run combination. Despite her outstanding cycling, the four-week period without swimming added to a cumulative effort that made her fall a handful of seconds from qualification on the run. Cooper Shevlin (Club) had an outstanding race, coming 10th in his age group. Joel Rodd (Club) was second out of the water and had a controlled race to come fourth in his age group and guarantee a spot at Nationals.

The Aquathlon race was held under terrible conditions. The wind and rain forced organisers to reduce the swim distance. Kai Edgley (Year 6), one of the best swimmers in his age group, felt the change and was 12 seconds short of qualifying, coming in 10th place. Unlike triathlon, which has 12 Queensland Team representatives, the Aquathlon only takes the top six competitors to Nationals.

If you wish to join our Triathlon Academy for fitness or performance, we offer different squad groups that can certainly fit your needs. The only prerequisite is being able to swim more than 100m without stopping. On April 5 and 6, the Gold Coast Triathlon is a great opportunity to start your triathlon journey. Get in touch, and we will help you join the wonderful world of triathlon.